Forget the recession… football shirt deals up to £147m

The combined shirt sponsorship income of the Premier League’s 20 clubs has jumped 25 per cent to £147million for next season.

The £30m increase in sponsorship revenues reconfirms the strength of the Premier League as a product, allowing clubs to benefit despite uncertain economic conditions.

The headline total could have been higher if deals such as United’s training kit deal with DHL were included. It is thought that deal was worth in the region of £10m a year to the Old Trafford club when signed last season.

Deal: Manchester City's sponsorship with Etihad Airways is worth £20m per season

Tottenham also received an additional £5m a year from Investec as shirt sponsor for all cup games over the past two seasons. The north Londoners are in discussions to extend the arrangement.

The biggest financial leaps this season have come from clubs in the north-east, with Sunderland and Newcastle both successfully negotiating lucrative new deals.

Sunderland recently signed a staggering £20 m-a-year agreement with Invest in Africa, a deal as lucrative as the highest deals enjoyed by Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. The deal means an extra £19m a year for the club.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has overseen an uplift of £7.5m a year after thrashing out a £10m-a-year deal with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Money after Virgin bought the previous sponsor, Northern Rock.

West Bromwich, Stoke, Norwich and QPR have improved their deals this season, and the overall total is boosted as the three newcomers to the Premier League — West Ham, Reading and Southampton — will earn a little more combined for their shirt deals (£3.2m) than the three relegated clubs, Bolton, Wolves and Blackburn (£1.85m together) last season.